ipl-logo

Plato's Nature Of Justice Analysis

2110 Words9 Pages

The republic is an enquiry into the nature of justice. This required redesigning the polis from first principles. Plato argued that truly good conduct and the truly good state have to be based on true knowledge of things in themselves; that is, of the forms or ideas that underlie the world of appearances. Plato seems to have had an unlimited faith in the power of the mind. Plato was looking at justice starting from the individual and then, to make things clearer, in the state. He seems to invert the usual relationship: rather than seeing our ideas as arising out of social discourse, he treats the state as an illustration of the mind. In The Republic, Plato’s conventional definition: “to pay everyone what is owed to him” is promptly deconstructed by “Socrates”, who points out that according to this, one should harm one’s enemies and help one’s friends, but “it can never be just to harm anyone. (Plato, 1974) Socrates insists that one cannot base justice on self-interest or convention. Glaucon instinctively feels that justice must be one of those qualities which are loved both for their beneficial consequences and for their own sake. (Plato, 1974) Justice, he feels, is not merely a matter of convenience …show more content…

(Macpherson, 1962) Hobbes highly coherent theory of obligation is deduced not from the postulates about man’s nature but from the will or command of God, or from a body of natural law which bears its own authority. (Macpherson,

Show More
Related

  • Socrates Argue Of Justice In Plato's Republic

    342 Words  | 2 Pages

    the Republic, Socrates argues that justice ought to be valued both for its own sake and for the sake of its consequences (358a1–3). His interlocutors Glaucon and Adeimantus have reported a number of arguments to the effect that the value of justice lies purely in the rewards and reputation that are the usual consequence of being seen to be just, and have asked Socrates to say what justice is and to show that justice is always intrinsically better than is acting contrary to justice when doing so would win you more non-moral goods. Glaucon presents these arguments as renewing Thrasymachus’ Book 1 position that justice is “another’s good” (358b–c, cf. 343c), which Thrasymachus had associated with the claim that the rulers in any constitution frame

    Read More

  • Thrasymachus Definition Of Justice In Plato's The Republic

    2106 Words  | 9 Pages

    Plato contests this view on justice because he believes doing harm to anyone would be an injustice. This theory leads to their conclusion the just man is one who is useful. Thrasymachus refers to justice in an egoistical manner, saying “justice is in the interest of the stronger” (The Republic, Book I). He believes injustice is virtuous and wise and justice is vice and ignorance, but Socrates disagrees with this statement as believes the opposing view. As a result of continual rebuttals against their arguments,

    Read More

  • Morality In Socrates 'The Ring Of Gyges'

    661 Words  | 3 Pages

    The passage written by Plato goes in to great detail of how Socrates defends his position and how Glaucon defends his position as well but then leaves the reader to formulate his own opinion. With both Socrates’ position and as well as Glaucons, it is clear to see that Glaucon has the more rational reasoning within the debate of who’s happier, the just or unjust person. In Plato’s writing, The Republic, Glaucon challenge Socrates to describe justice and to give reasoning to why acting justly should be believed to be in anyone's self-interest. Glaucon claims that all goods can be distributed into three classes:

    Read More

  • John Locke's Concept Of Justice

    1751 Words  | 8 Pages

    Plato regarded justice as the true principle of social life. Plato in his day found a lot of evil in society. He saw unrighteousness rampant and injustice enthroned.

    Read More

  • Socrates: Plato's Decision To Accepting The Death Penalty

    1434 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this essay, I will present an argument that shows that Plato will convince Socrates to reconsider his decision to receive the death sentence. Plato would show Socrates that his three reasons for staying to receive his sentence is unjust because his action is fuelled by injustice. I will also show that Socrates will agree with Plato about the unjust consequences that his actions may bring after Plato reasons why Socrates is doing an injustice. Finally, Plato would then proceed to show Socrates that his decision to stay cannot result in happiness and justice which in turn will cause Socrates to re-evaluate accepting his death sentence according to his own ideals of a happy and just life.

    Read More

  • Plato's Republic: Just Or Unjust?

    832 Words  | 4 Pages

    I believe that Plato believes that people are inherently good and they will do what is morally right and just for society. They will earn their right to power and ensure fairness for all to prevent the tyrants from trying to take control. Plato mentions three main arguments regarding

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Jr And Socrates Comparison Essay

    648 Words  | 3 Pages

    He held that upright life is the only life worth living. To him, justice was a matter of knowledge and hence, a truth aspect. Meanwhile, he honored and acknowledged his duty to obey the Laws of the state. From Socrates' perspective, Laws are absolute.

    Read More

  • The Social Contract And Injustice In Plato's Crito

    727 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Social Contract Plato’s Crito depicts a conversation between Socrates and Crito. Socrates’ friends intend to help him escape from prison before he is executed. Their conversation touches upon subjects like justice, injustice and the appropriate response to injustice. Socrates argues that one must not answer to injustice with more injustice as that would be an injury to the laws and to the city of Athens.

    Read More

  • Socrates Vs. Unjust One In Plato's The Republic

    643 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Plato’s, The Republic, Book I, Socrates tries to prove to Thrasymachus “whether just people also live better and are happier than unjust ones” (352d). He argues that everything has a predisposed proficiency at a function, and that this functions are performed well by the peculiar virtue and badly by means of its vice (353a-353d) . The point of this paper is to present Socrates argument and evaluate it to the best of my ability. This argument can be categorized as an inductive generalization. Socrates states that the function of anything is what it alone can do or what it does best.

    Read More

  • Comparing Socrates In The Apology, Crito, And The Republic

    802 Words  | 4 Pages

    Comparing Socrates words in the Republic for the philosopher to rule to the words of the Apology where philosophy is viewed as something that is punishable by death, this is where the defense or importance of philosophy is realized. For if the philosophers were the ones to rule, nobody would question whether or not what they were doing was right or wrong because the philosopher-kings make the rules through wisdom and knowledge. Plato wants to paint a portrait of the philosopher as not only something the city should want to have, but also as someone who would be fit to rule above all others. This contrasts, again, to the points made by the jurors to Socrates in the Apology for they saw Socrates as someone who brings the city

    Read More

  • Socrates And Crito Argumentative Analysis

    1382 Words  | 6 Pages

    Socrates believes that justice benefits the just, but also benefits the city (other people) too. He is faced with a seemingly simple choice, escape Athens or remain in prison and be sentenced to death. Socrates’ central argument against escaping his circumstances is twofold. First, Socrates argues that “one must never do wrong.” (49b)

    Read More

  • Argument Of Justice In Plato's Book 1 Of The Republic

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Book 1 of the republic, by Plato, we are introduced to two central figures in the argument of justice, Socrates and Thrasymachus. Thrasymachus claims that justice is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates then asks if his understanding, that what is beneficial to the stronger is just and must be beneficial to the weaker people, to which Thrasymachus replies that no, this is not so. He explains that justice is that which obtains the advantage of the stronger.

    Read More

  • Socrates: The Corruption Of Athenian Democracy

    1140 Words  | 5 Pages

    With this statement, Plato was addressing the jurors and people gathered around during his trial about how the law isn’t used as a way to make sure that justice is carried out anymore because men have been blinded by the power given to them to pass verdicts without paying attention to whether it corresponded to the law of the land. Once again, it can be seen that just like Socrates told the judges how to do their job, he 's telling the jurors how to perform their

    Read More

  • The Noble Lie In Plato's The Republic

    1355 Words  | 6 Pages

    What is justice? This is the crucial question that Plato attempts to answer in his dialogue, The Republic. He conjures up an allegory that justice can be found in a person, and a person can represent a city. Thus, his entire dialogue focuses on this ‘just’ city and the mechanics of how the city would operate. His dialogue covers a myriad of topics about justice in addition to the human soul, politics, goodness and truth.

    Read More

  • Just Society In Plato's Republic

    943 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Book IV of Plato’s Republic, Socrates and his peers come to the conclusion that a city is going to need people who have an understanding of what justice should be. Socrates at the end of Book IV can make the difference between individual, political, and social justice. He knows that individual and political justice is so much in common because they both weigh in heavy on truth, honor, and appetitive soul. That appetitive soul is an element that helps the secure the just community with love and support.

    Read More

More about Plato's Nature Of Justice Analysis

Open Document